Latest posts for the topic "The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!"

The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

pavelski — GMT

We all start as neophytes, but how we progress to becoming experts is dependant on knowing what you do wrong. There are some simple techniques that just seem to "stop" skiers from progressing. Here are 5 of the most common. 1. Looking at skis while skiing. Some skiers are mesmerized by the graphics on their skis, so they focus on them. Others believe if they "will" their skis to turn they will. Others ( of the opposite sex) use the "wife look". You know THAT look all husbands know. It seems tp work with men, so women get that look and stare at the ski tips. Seems that skis are dumbmer then men! Never look at your skis. Look 5 meters ahead. 2. Trailing arm Look carfully at skiers going down ski run. 99% have this common ski disease, the dreaded trailing arm. What is it! After every turn, the arm that initiated the turn, ie left turn is left arm,,,right turn is right arm this arm is "forgotten" and falls behind body. Seems a silly point, just for looks you say! Well what you are doing is causing your body to rotate and be "behind" the ski rytm. That is why some skiers seem to ski well, but as the speed picks up or the slpe gets steeper, they can not link more than 3 turns. They fall behind each turn. The cause is that forgotten arm. It feels abandoned and sulcks a second or two causing the skier to realise it needs that arm for next term. Parents with two children know well this problem thus accord equal attention to both children. So should you. 3. Leaning back. This is the most common problem for many skiers from experts to beginners. It is a mental thing. We want to get away from "cliffs" , high edges so we lean away from fall zone. So it is in skiing. We perceive "steeper" sections as dangerous so we lean away ( back) from the void! Even if this void is a "beginner slope". 4. Forcing the ski. ( mainly a male problem) For some skiing is a battle of wills. THe skis are like wild stallions which must be dominated. For some by brute force. For some with that "wife look"! Skis are your friends. Get to know them, let them show you what they can do. All they want to do is please you. Give them a chance and yes they will bring you levels of pleasure your lover can't. Be soft of them and they will respond. Force them and they will resist. Remember Newton's Law of action and opposite reaction" 5. I have left the most important mistake for last. This is the one which will cause you grief! It is beliveing you have mastered skiing. One person on this site asked," I am going on a ski holiday for 5 days to Davos, will I master skiing during this holiday!" You never master skiing. By humble! Skiing will always throw you a "curve" when you thin you are great. There is always something to learn! So have fun learning. That is the essence of skiing ...learning! That is why I feel so dumb when I ski , but I do hide it well when I take Corbett's Dive!

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

greenskier — GMT

How true you are. I'm always committing mistake number 1 - even though I know I shouldn't! I know I'll never commit mistake number 5. The better you get, the better you realise you can be! :roll:

The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

ise — GMT

pavelski wrote:

Here are 5 of the most common. 1. Looking at skis while skiing. 2. Trailing arm 3. Leaning back.

that's true but you could reduce this three things not five. Really these three are the same thing in nearly every case. Looking at the skis nearly always triggers an instinctive vertigo and forces people back, the trailing arm has the same effect in shifting the centre of balance back as well. OTOH, so important to be worth mentioning twice :D Or the top 10 mistakes where 9 of them are leaning back :D

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

JamesA — GMT

Pavel I thought that the 5 thiings that 90% of skiers do wrongly are 1. Fall down 2. get up 3. fall down again 4. drink too much and 5. then of course fall down. LOL Ski till it hurts from laughing.....

5Tortures

pavelski — GMT

James, Those are just "initiation" challenges to see if you have the "stuff" to continue to ski!

The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

Mike from NS — GMT

pavelski wrote:

2. Trailing arm Look carfully at skiers going down ski run. 99% have this common ski disease, the dreaded trailing arm. What is it! After every turn, the arm that initiated the turn, ie left turn is left arm,,,right turn is right arm this arm is "forgotten" and falls behind body. Seems a silly point, just for looks you say! Well what you are doing is causing your body to rotate and be "behind" the ski rytm. That is why some skiers seem to ski well, but as the speed picks up or the slpe gets steeper, they can not link more than 3 turns. They fall behind each turn. The cause is that forgotten arm. It feels abandoned and sulcks a second or two causing the skier to realise it needs that arm for next term.

This is my greatest thing to correct. I may start off in "good" form with all the intentions of taking it "easy" and planning to keep the hands out front with a flick of the wrist working the poles but as the thrill of speed takes over my intentions of maintaining good form dwindle in the wind and I find myself getting sloppy with the hands. The hay - makers return and like you say Pavel, the upper body starts twisting. It takes a lot of concentration before it becomes second nature. But it sure is fun trying :P Mike

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

Mountain Holidays — GMT

Haha, great read, I see most of these things happen all the time! The 'wife-stare' was the best!

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

Petar — GMT

Very good read by Pavelski!

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

Jan I Stenmark — GMT

Pav, Surely the 6th thing most skiers here do wrong is spend their lives in chat rooms or message forums instead of going skiing. Now about my next post … Jan

Not fair !!!

pavelski — GMT

Jan, That was not fair. While you have lots of snow here I still have grass! Today I collected 15 bags of leaves! Cleaned my pond and installed heater for Koi fish, cleaned out Summer gardening tools,set up Winter bird feeder! This is called getting my ski fix! Not as good as skiing but at least I can imagine skiing there! Oh yes I also decorated my house for Christmas,,,,so there Pavel

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

freezywater — GMT

christmas decorations already Pav :?: Is this the norm in your area for this time of year or are you just bored through a lack of snow :?:

Decorations

pavelski — GMT

Frezywater, I have an old house which I decorate depending on the seasons! In Fall it is hay in front with corn stalks. Scarcrows, pumkins etc... Spring it is flowers everywhere with hanging pots, wild flowers here and there. Pond etc.... Winter is Christmas decorations! Since I have to use ladders I like to decorate before the huge snow storms come! Yes in my area Christmas decorations are beginning to appear! It also helps me not think about skiing!!!!!

Thankful for thanksgiving

Trencher — GMT

One the things I appreciate living in the States is that the commercial preesure of Thanksgiving (last Thurs in Nov) confines the Christmas season to December. I don't miss the Xmas TV ads in September. I'm even getting used to the exterior decorations and lights that everyone seems to like here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmgf60CI_ks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05L1c_II_wo&feature=related Trencher

Decorations

pavelski — GMT

Already I am considered "strange" in the area since I leave in June to go skiing. I rake leaves with my ski boot on. I have many skiers bring their old 1950,s ski to me! So I try to make my Christmas decorations more traditional! Some people go over the top with all lights, music and fireworks! My tradition Santa Claus ( old European Santa) however does has skis! The very best to all you great skiers on this site!

7th skiing Mistake

Stigrace — GMT

Pavel. To follow Jan's 6th. skiing mistake, this one is for sure in the top 10 ! Thinking too much technique. So many skiers read books and view all sorts of ski videos, then try to "think ski"! It is like doing painting by numbers. You all know those "paintings" you buy that have numbers for each color. I had a little boy as a neighbor who was always "hyperactive" his mother could never get him to do the house chores. Never read about "how to ski", he just did it! I wonder where he is now that little boy,,,,probably retired somewhere reading all about how to ski!

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

pavelski — GMT

Stigrace, Not sure what "little boy" you are refering to, but there seems to be many little boys on this site. I know the title above says 5,,,,but one mistakes I am seeing more and more is this one! Buying new shaped ski thinking voila I will ski THAT way! Take the time to learn correct technique.

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

freezywater — GMT

pavelski wrote:

Buying new shaped ski thinking voila I will ski THAT way!

You mean that DOESN'T work :lol: Reminds me of a chap who I met whilst on holiday back in January, turned up for the first day of ski school having never skied in his life with brand new everything, full Spyder outfit, top of the range skis and boots, couldn't ski to save his life because his top of the range boots were too stiff and his top of the range skis were too aggresive :oops:

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

pavelski — GMT

Freeezywater, You have this "mind-set" in all areas. The person who buys the most powerful laptop yet uses 10% of its potential. The person who buys the Porsche 911 yet never drives in country roads. The person who buys that PDA yet never uses all its functions. So it is in skiing. The mind set is the following. I want to be the best. I want others to "respect" me and think at a glance that I am the best. Stores that advantage of such persons. Skiers have one criteria and only one when "showing respect" to another skier. It is CAN YOU SKI EFFECTIVELY! Watching a skier do two turns tells me all I have to know. Regardless of terrain, steepness, weather. You can not cheat in skiing! Buying "top of the line" ski equipment, thinking you will have a "fast track" to expert level is wrong! It reveals more your insecurity and desire for status.

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

freezywater — GMT

Pavel you are quite right as usual, BTW, congratulatons on reaching 600, would that be years :?: :lol:

Re:The 5 Ski Mistakes 90% skiers do!

pavelski — GMT

I never realized I talk so much. I did not even realize we were "monitored"! Is that what those number stand for! All I can say it is the drugs! ( I did have an over-dose of morphine while in hospital and some strange "people" visited me!" I really am a very quiet, academic in real life! Really. I will try to keep quiet and let Jan, Bandit, Ellistine et all keep chat alive!